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Clattenburg was originally accused of saying “shut up you monkey” to the Nigerian international during Chelsea's 3-2 defeat to Manchester United in 2012.

However, the accusations were dropped and the club apologised to Clattenburg after the FA cleared the referee of any wrongdoing.

"The club regrets not having given more consideration before issuing a statement on the evening of Sunday, 28 October," the statement from Chelsea read. “The club also regrets the subsequent impact the intense media scrutiny had on Mark Clattenburg and his family."

Clattenburg had tough night when Chelsea took on Tottenham Hotspur (Photo by Ian Walton/Getty Images)

Last season, Clattenburg was once again under the spotlight at Stamford Bridge when Chelsea had a fiery encounter with Spurs.

The referee handed out 12 yellow cards, with three of them to Chelsea, but failed to show a single red card with the players seemingly out of control.

It was reported that Clattenburg admitted to not being strong enough during the encounter between the two sides.

So how will Chelsea view his departure from the Premier League as he chases the sun in the Middle East?

Some think that he won't be missed, however others feel that there will be a hole to fill as one of the top referees leaves.